Citrus Industry

January 11, 1986|By Deanne Brandon

LOWER YIELD. The Florida orange crop forecast has been reduced by about 2 percent to 130 million 90-pound boxes. The U.S. Agriculture Department's estimate Friday of the harvest now under way still puts the yield 25 percent higher than last season's, which was shortened by a freeze. The reduction, which does not fully reflect the effects of a mild freeze late last month, was made in early and midseason oranges, which were reduced from 71 million to 69 million boxes. Valencias remained unchanged at 61 million boxes, and grapefruit was unchanged at 44 million boxes. Bobby McKown of Florida Citrus Mutual said the crop reduction and a slight drop in juice yield should mean a decline of less than 3 percent in the volume of frozen concentrated orange juice, from 149.5 million gallons to 145.2 million gallons.